A US official with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed that Hamas made a last-minute revision relating to the distance that Israeli forces would withdraw from at least one largely populated area in Gaza, without identifying it. The issue is expected to be resolved quickly and enable the ceasefire to begin as planned this weekend, said the official, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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Hamas denied the claims, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, saying the militant group “is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators.”
The deal announced on Wednesday would see scores of hostages held in Gaza released and a pause in fighting with a view to eventually wind down a 15-month war that has destabilised the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
Hamas triggered the war with its October 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1200 people and took 250 others hostage.
Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.
The military campaign has levelled vast swaths of Gaza, and pushed around 90 per cent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are struggling with hunger and disease in squalid tent camps on the coast.
Netanyahu faces heavy internal pressure
The Israeli prime minister faces great domestic pressure to bring home the hostages but resistance from his far-right coalition partners, who have threatened to bring down his government if he makes too many concessions.
Netanyahu has enough opposition support to approve an agreement without those partners, but doing so would weaken his coalition.
His hardline allies who hold key positions in the government, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have already denounced the current deal as “terrible” and “dangerous,” respectively.
The departure of both of their factions could bring down the government and lead to early elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a “last minute crisis” with Hamas is holding up approval of the Gaza truce and hostage deal.
A night of heavy Israeli strikes
Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people were celebrating the ceasefire deal. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.
“We were expecting that the (Israeli) occupation would intensify the bombing, like they did every time there were reports of progress in truce talks,” said Mohammed Mahdi, who is sheltering in Gaza City.
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Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced. It said the toll from Thursday’s strikes only includes bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City, and that the actual toll is likely higher.
The Israeli military said it had struck approximately 50 militant targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launch sites.
Anxiety spread on Thursday with the news of last-minute quarrelling between Hamas and Israeli officials.
“We ask our brothers in Hamas to communicate with mediators to end the war,” said Omar Jendiya, in Deir al-Balah. “Enough with the destruction and killing.”
Ceasefire leaves questions about Gaza’s future unanswered
US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy joined the talks in the final weeks, and both the outgoing administration and Trump’s team are taking credit for the breakthrough.
Longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.
Israel has come under heavy international criticism, including from its closest ally, the United States, over the civilian toll in Gaza. It also blames Hamas for the civilian casualties, accusing it of using schools, hospitals and residential areas for military purposes.
Hamas, a militant group that does not accept Israel’s existence, has come under overwhelming pressure from Israel’s invasion of Gaza’s largest cities and towns and seizure of the border between Gaza and Egypt. Its top leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who was believed to have helped mastermind the October 7, 2023, attack, have been killed.
But its fighters have regrouped in some of the hardest-hit areas after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, raising the prospect of a prolonged insurgency if the war continues.
AP
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